Archives: Aug. 20-26, 2006
Lynx poised to leap after 2007
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
In a move that surprises absolutely no one, the ownership of the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) have informed the city of Ottawa the team will not be playing in Lynx Stadium after the 2007 season. We’ve already repeatedly reported the Lynx will be the team moving to a new ballpark in Allentown for the 2008 season, so this notification was always a formality. Lynx owner Ray Pecor is selling a majority interest in the Lynx when the move to Allentown occurs; the majority owner of the relocated team hasn’t been accurately reported yet. Ottawa won’t go without baseball for long: the independent Can-Am Association has already been in discussions to place a team at Lynx Stadium for 2008. More on Joe Finley, who is leading the charge for the new Allentown ballpark.
Astrodome’s future may be as hotel
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
The board governing Houston’s Astrodome unanimously gave the go-ahead to a private firm’s plan to spend $450 million reinventing the mostly dormant, county-owned stadium into a convention hotel. The hotel is planned as a four-star facility with at least 1,000 rooms, a 2,100-space garage built around two-thirds of the Dome’s exterior and restaurants, nightclubs and retail stores. The entrepreneurs behind the project envision the facility being a destination attraction, featuring winding waterways and gondola rides. With its vote, the court gave the the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp., permission to sign a letter of intent with Astrodome Redevelopment Corp. The Astrodome, the first domed stadium in the majors, opened in 1965 as the home of the Houston Astros.
Texas League executives scrutinize proposed Springdale lease
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
Texas League owners — as well as a boatload of other baseball types, if downloads from our site are any indication — are looking over the proposed lease between Springdale, Ark., and the Wichita Wranglers (Class AA; Texas League) for a new ballpark opening in 2006. If the league approves the lease and the move, then relocation must be approved by MiLB and MLB. That should not be a problem, as the N.A. has for many months considered Springdale a key market and was never going to let an independent team move there — in fact, to keep Springdale an affiliated market, the N.A. had tentatively signed off on a Class AA Southern League team moving into the new ballpark had the Wranglers deal fallen through. Meanwhile, negotiations are still ongoing regarding the Wranglers leaving Lawrence-Dumont Stadium a year before their lease expires in 2009; city officials say that’s OK so long as the National Baseball Congress remains in Wichita. This would also presumably open up the ballpark for use by an independent-league team.
Anatomy of the Devil Rays deal
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
Here’s a blow-by-blow look at how the Tampa Bay Devil Rays came to a deal with Charlotte County for a renovation of the Charlotte Sports Complex for spring training. For the D-Rays, a move out of Al Lang Field — much as we love that ballpark — makes business sense: they can expand their fan base outside Tampa-St. Pete, and uniting training fields and a ballpark at the same complex will simplify planning. Assuming state funding of the project comes through later this year, the D-Rays will make the move south in 2009. Some Tampa fans were not thrilled with the move, saying it would inconvenience them to drive two hours south to a game. More from the Bradenton Herald.
Commissioners: County will have a say in Red Barons sale
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
All three Luzerne County commissioners vowed Wednesday to have a final say in a potential sale of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Class AAA; International League). Their statements came one day after Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert Cordaro announced Columbia Sports Capital, a New York-based company, offered to buy the AAA baseball franchise for $14 million. Cordaro and fellow Republican Commissioner A.J. Munchak said they were “not inclined” to sell the team, yet would entertain offers. Columbia Sports Capital officials, led by Greg Torborg, say they’re willing to sign a 20-year lease to remain in Lackawanna County. More from the Scranton Times-Tribune.
New ballpark for Twins puts surrounding buildings in play
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
With a new Minnesota Twins ballpark slated to open in the 2010 season, owners of properties surrounding the ballpark site in downtown Minneapolis’s Warehouse District are looking to take advantage of the momentum. Really, a lot of the speculation for surrounding real estate has already taken place — the North Loop area is one of the hotter real-estate markets in the city — and what you’re seeing now is current owners debating how to best leverage their existing investments.
Politics may delay Frontier Field work
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
A battle over borrowing for Monroe County projects is tying up money for some construction work, including a $1.6 million state grant to renovate Frontier Field, the home of the Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League). James LeBeau, the ballpark’s director, said the state grant is needed to replace the field, do underground drainage work, re-roof a portion of the stadium and repaint structural steel. The aim was to start the work this fall, yet it may be delayed because of the funding fight, he said. No county money is going to the project. More on the Red Wings and their assortment of wacky promotions.
Miller Park official says rust is an eyesore, nothing more
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
Five years after Miller Park, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers, opened for business, rust on the right-field roof panel can be seen clearly from the stands. Mike Duckett, executive director of the Miller Park stadium district, said the rust is an aesthetic issue, not a structural one. He said the rusting has been inspected several times, most recently last month. The solution: a sandblasting of the blighted area, followed by a fresh coast of paint.
Rockies, C-Rockies extend affiliation
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
The Casper Rockies (rookie; Pioneer League) and the Colorado Rockies extended their current player development agreement for two years, through the 2008 Pioneer League season. "We are very pleased to continue our partnership with the Colorado Rockies," said Danny Tetzlaff, President and General Manager of the Casper Rockies. "With several former Casper players matriculating to the major leagues, we look forward to developing the future stars for the Colorado Rockies. The front office staff for Colorado has been fantastic to work with and we couldn’t ask to be associated with a more professional organization."
Old baseball town starting to perk up as Tigers show season is real
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
We love it when original American League franchises are showing signs of life and success. Fans seem to believe the Tigers are for real: there’s a true sense of excitement around Comerica Park, and Detroit has managed to sell out several games this season. It also looks like the Tigers will keep the buzz going through September; it’s safe to say there’s never been a buzz at Comerica Park in September.
New investor gives hope to Xanadu
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
An investment firm has agreed to pump up to $500 million into the Meadowlands Xanadu development and secure additional financing. The firm, Colony Capital Acquisitions, is expected to complete the project by 2008 with the retail and entertainment mix promised by Mills Corp. in 2003. One big issue is whether Colony will step forward and build a new ballpark for the Bergen Cliff Hawks (independent; Atlantic League). Meadowlands officials sound like a new ballpark is a done deal, but given the lack of a specific lease for the ballpark portion of the project and the lack of information from Colony Capital, these officials may be getting ahead of themselves.
Knit 1, hurl 2: Stitching at the ballpark
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
What is it with knitters and baseball this year? First the Iowa Cubs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) hosted a knitting event this season, and now the Arizona Diamondbacks are doing the same thing. Knitters (and those who crochet, do needlepoint or work with fiber in artful ways) are invited to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Sept. 9 game at Chase Field against the St. Louis Cardinals. There, they will be part of one major-league knitting circle, as more than a thousand yarn enthusiasts are expected to attend.
This sequel no laughing matter
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
It’s not been a good summer for the Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League): B.J. Upton was arrested on drunk-driving charges, Elijah Dukes was suspended for the rest of the season after an argument with an umpire (he was also suspended twice during the season after altercations with coaches and teammates), and outfielder Delmon Young was suspended for 50 games for arguing with an umpire. So far the relationship with parent team Tampa Bay has been good — the Bulls have consistently been a winner thanks to the veterans signed by the D-Rays specifically for Durham — but this season’s problems have the Bulls front office wondering whether re-upping the PDC between the pair through 2008 was a good idea.
Whitecaps winning, but fans not coming
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
There were hopes $1.3 million in offseason improvements to Fifth Third Ballpark might help boost attendance this season. The results are mixed. Entering their final eight-game homestand, the West Michigan Whitecaps (Low Class A; Midwest League) are on pace to set a club record for the lowest attendance total during the 13-year history of the franchise.
Canaries to host 2007 AA All-Star Game
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
The Sioux Falls Canaries announced that the team has been selected to host the 2007 American Association All-Star Game. "We are proud to bring next year’s All-Star Game to Sioux Falls," said Canaries General Manager Matt Hansen. "This event will provide us with a great opportunity to showcase our great city to fans and executives from the entire league." The All-Star Game is the first in the history of the Canaries and comes to Sioux Falls during the team’s 15th Anniversary Season. Later this fall, the Canaries will announce the date of the game and reveal the 2007 All-Star Logo.
Tickets for the 2007 American Association All-Star Game will be included in all 2007 full season ticket packages.
Pelicans, T-Bones set attendance records
Posted Aug. 24, 2006
The Pensacola Pelicans (independent; American Association) set a new season-attendance record last night, now set at nearly 71,000 with three games remaining in the 2006 season. Also, the Kansas City T-Bones (independent; Northern League) set a new club attendance record for the third straight season. In just 43 home dates thus far, the T-Bones have eclipsed their previous single-season total attendance record of 244,414, set just a year ago. After averaging 4,610 fans per game in their inaugural season in 2003, the T-Bones have enjoyed steady attendance growth over the past three years. Wednesday’s crowd of 5,479 brought the 2006 total attendance to 249,884, for an average of 5,811 per game and a 26.1 percent increase since 2003.
Inflation slows expansion plans at Wrigley
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
Rising costs have delayed plans by the Chicago Cubs to begin construction this fall on a restaurant and parking garage facility adjacent to Wrigley Field, but the team remains committed to the project, a Cubs official said Tuesday. The team unveiled plans for the building in 2001, when it also first said it wanted to expand the bleachers and make other ballpark improvements. The plans called for a five-story multipurpose building, to be located just west of Wrigley Field, with 400 parking spaces, a restaurant, a museum, and retail shops above ground, as well as underground workout facilities for Cubs players. The Cubs made gradual changes in the plans for this building over the last year — for example, dropping plans to place an environmentally friendly green roof on the building — so the decision to postpone the building completely is no surprise.
Charlotte County approves Devil Rays spring-training plan
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
Despite some last-minute opposition, Charlotte County’s four commissioners all agreed that it was advantageous for the county to spend taxpayer dollars on a renovated spring-training complex for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who want to partner with the county in building a $27.2 million event center for not only spring training but professional baseball and other sporting and entertainment events. Unless something goes terribly wrong, the D-Rays will be leaving Al Lang Field after 2008 and take up residence in Charlotte County for spring training 2009. The plan needs only the commissioners’ approval of an additional one-cent addition to the tourism tax on hotel and rental properties in the county plus a successful grant request to the state for $15 million in sales-tax rebates. The project would bring spring training back to Charlotte County in 2009; the Texas Rangers formerly trained at the Charlotte Sports Complex. More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune, the Tampa Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times and the Bradenton Herald.
Marlins officials tight-lipped on downtown Miami ballpark proposal
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
Florida Marlins front-office officials pull out the Sergeant Schultz defense when asked about MLB’s plan to bring about a new downtown Miami ballpark for the Fish. Really, they have no choice: they’ve been negotiating in good faith with Hialeah officials about a new ballpark in that city, but with those efforts on life support (Hialeah officials are in no better position to close a funding gap than anyone else in the region), MLB officials wisely decided to jump in and unveil their own ideas on a downtown Miami ballpark. MLB officials are farther along in the planning stages than has been reported elsewhere: they already have secured the land in downtown Miami (the Miami Herald based its reporting on the subject from competitors in the real-estate market), have been working with an architect on a ballpark plan (costing between $430 million and $450 million) and are very serious about moving forward with that location. Really, the choice is simple: to attract the moneyed and glamorous crowd MLB needs to succeed in Miami, a downtown Miami location makes infinitely more sense than does a Hialeah ballpark. Hialeah, Miami-Dade, Marlins and MLB officials are meeting about the downtown location; they’re being joined by architects from HOK and HKS.
Cleveland says no to Cape Coral’s springtime offer; Arizona move still a possibility
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
Cleveland Indians President Paul J. Dolan says his team is deep into negotiations with unnamed Florida and Arizona cities, leading him to turn down an offer to submit an outline of the team’s spring-training needs to Cape Coral, Fla. officials. In a letter to Cape Coral Mayor Eric Fecihthaler dated Aug. 18 (you can read it here), Dolan says, "we believe it is impractical and possibly inappropriate for us to engage another community in these discussions." Bonita Springs is believed to be the Florida city referenced by Dolan, with Goodyear the city Arizona city referenced. Whether the Indians are truly serious about moving to Arizona remains to be seen: MLB has historically required teams to move in pairs from the Grapefruit League to the Cactus League for scheduling purposes, but with a new Reds complex in Sarasota looking more likely every day and Tampa Bay very unlikely to move westward, every other Grapefruit League team is tied to Florida via a long-term lease — though, we must point out, leases can often be bought out.
Investors eye Red Barons for $14 million
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
The Lackawanna County Commissioners received a letter from a group of New York-based investors expressing interest in buying the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Class AAA; International League) for $14 million. Among the individuals involved in the proposal Tuesday from Columbia Sports Capital is Jeff Barrett, chief executive officer of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (American Hockey League). While there’s talk the group is a front for major-league interests, the group’s attorney flatly denies that talk (and, indeed, a major-league team would be a lot more subtle about a potential purchase). CSC is one of five groups that have contacted the county since last fall to express an interest in buying the Red Barons, but the first to put a proposal in writing. County officials say any agreement to sell the team would have to include a guarantee that it will remain in Lackawanna County "in perpetuity" — a clause we’re guessing an investor would not be interested in pursuing.
County steps to plate for Reds spring ballpark plan
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
A plan for a new spring-training complex for the Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota received a boost when county commissioners voted Tuesday to set a Sept. 13 public hearing on whether to raise the county’s bed tax to 4 percent from 3 percent to help pay for the $53 million development, which would also include new housing. The tax is expected to raise $17.6 million over 20 years. The city of Sarasota has already agreed to spend $9 million on the project, while the Cincinnati Reds have pledged $10 million and a state sales-tax rebate would yield $15 million over 30 years. More from the Bradenton Herald and the Charlotte Sun Herald.
Hialeah pitches for Marlins ballpark
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
Despite some in the MLB hierarchy showing a clear preference for a downtown Miami ballpark, Hialeah officials say they’ll continue to work on a funding plan for a Fish park in that city. Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina says he’s been told a downtown ballpark is merely a backup plan and that Hialeah remains the first option for the Marlins — something that we seriously doubt, given what we’ve been told by various sources. A Hialeah location would pose some marketing issues for the Marlins — it’s at the corner of Miami-Dade County and freeways near the proposed location are already busy during rush hour — and it doesn’t sound like Hialeah officials have any proposals to close a funding gap between the cost of the ballpark and what the Marlins and Miami-Dade County are willing to contribute.
Marlins ballpark talk falls on deaf ears
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
You’ll have to excuse Florida Marlins fans — the few left, anyway — if they’re not jumping up and down after learning MLB was working to bring a new ballpark to downtown Miami. They’ve been down this road before: the Marlins floated several ballpark plans over the past few years to no avail. Still, the fact that MLB are asserting some control over the process should be good news for Fish fans, Miami is an important market as baseball attempts to broaden its presence throughout Latin America, and there’s no doubt baseball should be part of the Miami cultural sizzle. A specific plan for a downtown Miami ballpark should bring Marlins fans out of the woodwork; until then, it’s all just talk.
Springdale officials present Wranglers lease to public
Posted Aug. 23, 2006
As we reported yesterday, Springdale, Ark., officials and the management of the Wichita Wranglers (Class AA; Texas League) came to an agreement regarding a new ballpark lease, and yesterday Springdale officials met with the press and the public to explain the terms. The city won’t recoup all the costs associated with the $50-million project via the lease, which is expected to yield $8.3 million during its 20-year lifespan. City officials were blunt about using the ballpark as a way to improve the quality of life in the rapidly growing Springdale area. The Springdale City Council will discuss the proposed lease at a work session tomorrow and then possibly vote on it next Tuesday. Meanwhile, Wranglers ownership and Wichita officials are still working on an agreement that would allow the Wranglers to leave a year early (the lease at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium runs through 2009) but keep the National Baseball Congress there, which presumably would open up the ballpark for another tenant from an independent league. More from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Wichita Business Journal and the Wichita Eagle.
Cashman: Yankees are losing money
Posted Aug. 23, 2006